Kaizen #60 - Get Records, Search Records, Query and Bulk Read APIs

Kaizen #60 - Get Records, Search Records, Query and Bulk Read APIs

Hi everyone.. Welcome back!

In this post, we will discuss when to use Get Records, Search Records, Query, and Bulk Read APIs to fetch records. Please note that the information in the article holds true for version 3 of Zoho CRM APIs.

Get Records API

The GET Records API allows you to fetch all the records from a module in your CRM account. 

When should you use GET Records API?

       Use this API to fetch a specific set of records whose IDs you already know, or to fetch all the records from a module without any filters, or using the pre-defined filters.
      For instance, when you want to render a mobile/web UI to show the list of records in a module or a specific custom view, you can make use of Get Records API.

Pagination

  • You can retrieve up to 200 records using this API in a single call.
  • To fetch more than 200 records, you must use pagination and make further API requests with the page parameter.
  • For more than 2000 and up to a maximum of 100,000 records, use the page_token parameter in the request. The value for this parameter is available from the key "next_page_token" in the response of the first Get Records call. 
  • You cannot use the page_token parameter with the page parameter.

Points to remember

  • You should specify the field API names to fetch the records.
  • You can fetch up to 50 fields using this API.
  • You can sort the records by id, Created_Time and Modified_Time fields.
  • Each Get Records API call consumes one API credit.

Examples

1. To fetch the records from 1801-2000 in the Leads module with the Last_Name and Email fields

The info JSON object in the response contains the next_page_token to retrieve the next set of records. 

2. To fetch after 2000 records
 [GET] "https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v3/Leads&fields=Last_Name,Email&per_page=200 
&page_token="db8d4276axxxxxxx713748a4e""

Search Records API

Search Records API lets you search for records in a module based on a criteria that you define. You can search for records with a specific word in the text fields, or by email or phone fields across the specified module. You can also search for a variety of other fields like currency, Date, DateTime, picklists etc.

When should you use Search Records API?

      Use this API when you want to search for a specific text, phone or email in the records of a module, or when you want to do a module-level word search. Search API is the go-to API  when you know the details like email, phone or a specific text, but not the individual IDs of the records.
      For example, when you want to render a search box in your web/mobile UI, and do a module-level search for the word, use Search Records API. 

Pagination

  • You can search for up to 200 records in one API request.
  • To fetch more than 200 and up to 2000 records, use the page parameter.

Points to remember

  • Your search criteria can have  equalsstarts_withinequalsnot_equalgreater_equalgreater_thanless_equalless_thanstarts_with, or between conditions.
  • There will be a delay in accessing recently inserted or updated records using this API due to data indexing.
  • Due to the indexing delay, it is advised not to use Search API to check for record duplication while creating a new record. 
  • Each Search Records API call consumes one API credit

Examples

1. To search for all the Leads with the word Zoho in the record

2. To fetch records from the Leads module whose Last_Name is 'Thomas' and First_Name starts with 'M'

Query API

Query API lets you query for records based on queries using the CRM Object Query Language(COQL). COQL is based on the SQL query syntax, and supports the SELECT query to fetch records. Using this API, you can query for data across different modules that are linked using lookup fields.  This API allows you to search for a variety of fields like picklist, Date, DateTime, Lookup, Number, Currency, Boolean, or string fields, and sort the records on the basis of any field.

When should you use Query API?

      To query for a module's data and its lookup related data using various comparators, or when you want to query for records that fall into a custom view without actually creating one.
      For instance, when you want to filter all the products in a specific price range, with 4 stars and up rating, use Query API.
      You can also use Query API to query for records from cross module (linked via lookup field). Eg: Filtering deals based on the account's location and industry type. In this example, Deals is the primary module linked with Accounts module via the lookup field 'Accounts_Name'.

Pagination

  • You can retrieve 200 records in one API call using this API.
  • To fetch more than 200 records and upto 10000 records, use the OFFSET clause. 

Points to remember

  • You can use DB comparators such as =, >, <, >=, <=, is null, is not null, between, in, not in, like, and not like in your search query.
  • You can fetch a maximum of 10000 records using this API.
  • You can use Query API to check for record duplication while creating a new record in your web/mobile UI apps.
  • Each Query API call consumes one API credit.

Examples

1. Cross Module Filtering : To filter deals based on its corresponding account's location and industry type.

"select_query": "select Deal_Name, Stage, Probability, Type, Account_Name from Deals where ((Account_Name.Location = 'Texas') AND (Account_Name.Industry = 'Military'))"

2. Consider the following custom view.

You can fetch the records in the custom view using the following SELECT query, without actually creating the custom view.
 { "select_query": "select Last_Name, Owner.last_name from Leads where ((Industry  = 'ERP') and (Owner = '4876876000000327001')) OR (Rating =    'Acquired')" }

For more examples, refer to our Get Records through COQL page
TIP : If you want to fetch all the records in a module using COQL Query API, you can still use the COQL query to do it. For example, the below example will fetch all the records in the Leads module.
   {  "select_query": "select Last_Name, Owner.last_name from Leads where ((Industry  = 'ERP') OR (Industry  != 'ERP'))"}

Bulk Read API

Bulk Read API lets you export data in bulk from a module. Using this API, you can export records based on a query, or export all the records in a module with or without filters. The main advantage of Bulk read API is in the huge number of records it can retrieve in one API call. While you can fetch 200 records per API call for GET Records API, Search Records API and Query API, you can export 200,000 records per API call using the Bulk read API. 

When should you use Bulk read API?

When you want to schedule a job to export huge volume of CRM data.
For instance, when you want to export the list of all the records from a  Zoho CRM  module to sync with your local ERP system's data store, use Bulk read API. 

Points to remember

  • Bulk read is an asynchronous API.
  • The result of the bulk read job will be available as a downloadable CSV/ICS file.
  • Each Bulk read API call consumes 50 API credits.
  • To export more than 200,000 records, use the page key in the request body. Setting page to '2' exports data starting from 200,001.

Sample Scenario

Let us now consider the case where you want to fetch (a)2000, (b)5000, (c)10000 and (d)15000 records from a module, and see which API is best-suited for each case.

 Number of records
 Get Records API
Search Records API
Query API
Bulk read API
2000
  • 10 API calls
  • 10 API credits
  • Use pagination
  • 10 API calls
  • 10 API credits
  • Use pagination
  • 10 API calls
  • 10 API credits
  • Use OFFSET
  • 1 API call
  • 50 API credits
5000
  • 25 API calls
  • 25 API credits
  • use pagination (up to 2000 records) & page_token (after 2000 records)

Not possible to fetch more than 2000 records
  • 25 API calls
  • 25 API credits
  • Use OFFSET 
  • 1 API call
  • 50 API credits
10000
  • 50 API calls
  • 50 API credits
  • use pagination (up to 2000 records) & page_token (after 2000 records)

Not possible to fetch more than 2000 records
  • 50 API calls
  • 50 API credits
  • Use OFFSET
  • 1 API call
  • 50 API credits

15000
  • 75 API calls
  • 75 API credits
  • use pagination (up to 2000 records) & page_token (after 2000 records)

Not possible to fetch more than 2000 records

Not possible to fetch more than 10000 records
  • 1 API call
  • 50 API credits

To sum up, for up to 2000 records, the Get Records API, Search Records API, and Query API all use the same API credits. However, Query API has the edge over the other two because it provides you with greater flexibility to tweak your criteria, thanks to all the comparators and logical operations it supports.  If you intend to fetch 10,000 or more records asynchronously, the Bulk Read API is preferable in terms of API credits consumed. For synchronously fetching more than 10,000 records, use the Get Records API.


Feature
Get Records API
Search Records API
Query API
Bulk Read API
Maximum number of records per API call
 200
 200
 200
 200,000
 For Events - 20,000
Maximum number of records that can be fetched
 100,000
 2000
 10,000
 100,000,000
Indexing Delay
 No 
 Yes
 No 
 NA
Pagination
Use page parameter to retrieve more than 200 records and page_token parameter for more than 200 recordsUse page parameter to retrieve up to 2000 recordsUse LIMIT and OFFSET to navigate and retrieve a maximum of up to 10,000 recordsUse page key in the request body to fetch more than 200,000 records. Maximum possible value for page is 500
Sorting supportLimited (id, Created_Time and Modified_Time fields )
 No
 Yes
 No
Credits per API call
 1
 3 - with CVID parameter
 1
 1
 50

We hope you found this post useful. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section or reach out to us at support@zohocrm.com

Thank You!




    Access your files securely from anywhere

        All-in-one knowledge management and training platform for your employees and customers.






                              Zoho Developer Community




                                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                                    • Digest


                                                    • Functions


                                                    • Meetups


                                                    • Kbase


                                                    • Resources


                                                    • Glossary


                                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                                    • MVP Corner


                                                    • Word of the Day


                                                    • Ask the Experts



                                                              • Sticky Posts

                                                              • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

                                                                Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.
                                                              • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this
                                                              • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

                                                                Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how
                                                              • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.
                                                              • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

                                                                Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are


                                                              Manage your brands on social media



                                                                    Zoho TeamInbox Resources



                                                                        Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                                          Zoho Books Resources


                                                                            Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                              Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                                Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                                  Qntrl Resources


                                                                                    Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                                        Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                                        • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                                          CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                                        • Kaizen

                                                                                          Kaizen

                                                                                        • Functions

                                                                                          Functions

                                                                                        • Meetups

                                                                                          Meetups

                                                                                        • Kbase

                                                                                          Kbase

                                                                                        • Resources

                                                                                          Resources

                                                                                        • Digest

                                                                                          Digest

                                                                                        • CRM Marketplace

                                                                                          CRM Marketplace

                                                                                        • MVP Corner

                                                                                          MVP Corner







                                                                                            Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                            Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                            Get Started Now


                                                                                              Zoho Show Resources

                                                                                                Zoho Writer

                                                                                                Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                                Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                                  Zoho CRM コンテンツ




                                                                                                    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                                        ご検討中の方




                                                                                                                • Recent Topics

                                                                                                                • Custom Related List Inside Zoho Books

                                                                                                                  Hello, We can create the Related list inside the zoho books by the deluge code, I am sharing the reference code Please have a look may be it will help you. //..........Get Org Details organizationID = organization.get("organization_id"); Recordid = cm_g_a_data.get("module_record_id");
                                                                                                                • Zoho Meeting - Feature Request - Introduce an option to use local date and time formating

                                                                                                                  Hi Zoho Meeting Team, My feature request is to add an option for dates to be displayed in the users local format. This is common practice across Zoho applications and particularly relevant to an application like Zoho Meeting which revolves around date
                                                                                                                • Cannot give public access to Html Snippet in Zoho Creator Page

                                                                                                                  Hi, I created a form in Zoho Creator and published it. The permalink works but I want to override the css of the form. (style based URL parameters is not good enough) So I created a page and added an Html snippet. I can now override the css, which is
                                                                                                                • How can Outlook 365 link back into Zoho Projects so meetings and events in Outlook calendar show in Zoho?

                                                                                                                  We use Outlook 365 for our emails and diaries and have integrated Zoho Projects with Office 365. One challenge we face is getting Zoho Projects to recognise when we have meetings and events in Outlook and not allow project managers to assign tasks over that period. Is there a way to resolve this? Thanks
                                                                                                                • On Edit Validation Blueprint

                                                                                                                  Hello, I have a notes field and a signature field. When the Approve button is clicked, the Signature field will appear and must be filled in. When the Reject button is clicked, the Notes field will appear and must be filled in. Question: Blueprint will
                                                                                                                • Zoho Invoice en Navarra (Spain)

                                                                                                                  Hola, ¿Alguien usa Zoho Invoice en la Comunidad Foral de Navarra? En Navarra tenemos un sistema tributario diferente y no aplica Verifactu (la Hacienda Foral de Navarra ha anunciado su alternativa, NaTicket, pero no ha informado cuándo entrará en vigor).
                                                                                                                • Emails from Zoho are getting blocked due to Zoho IP address being blacklisted

                                                                                                                  This is the info I got from my hosting provider – please address this issue immediately. I don’t expect this from such a big household name. Every single invoice I have sernt it not being received by my clients, all being blocked. All of a sudden. As
                                                                                                                • agentid : Where to find?

                                                                                                                  I've been looking around for this agenId to check for the total ticket assigned on a specific agent url :"https://desk.zoho.com/api/v1/ticketsCountByFieldValues?departmentId=351081000000155331&agentId=35108xxxxxx132009&field=statusType,status" type :GET
                                                                                                                • Zoho DataPrep integration with OpenAI (beta)

                                                                                                                  We are thrilled to announce Zoho DataPrep's integration with OpenAI. The public beta roll-out opens up three features. Users who configure their OpenAI Organizational ID and ChatGPT API key (Find out how) will be able access the features. The features
                                                                                                                • AI Bot and Advanced Automation for WhatsApp

                                                                                                                  Most small businesses "live" on WhatsApp, and while Bigin’s current integration is helpful, users need more automation to keep up with volume. We are requesting features based on our customer Feedbacks AI Bot: For auto-replying to FAQs. Keyword Triggers:
                                                                                                                • Setting total budget hours for a specific project

                                                                                                                  Hi there, I work on a lot of projects that have fixed budget hours. Is there a way to enter the total budgeted hours so i can track progress and identify when hours have been exceeded. I see in the projects dashboard there is a greyed out text saying
                                                                                                                • Clone entire dashboards

                                                                                                                  If users want to customize a dashboard that is used by other team members, they can't clone it in order to customize the copy. Instead they have to create the same dashboard again manually from scratch. Suggestion: Let users copy the entire dashboard
                                                                                                                • Introducing Formula Fields for performing dynamic calculations

                                                                                                                  Greetings, With the Formula Field, you can generate numerical calculations using provided functions and available fields, enabling you to derive dynamic data. You can utilize mathematical formulas to populate results based on the provided inputs. This
                                                                                                                • Getting started with Zoho PDF Editor

                                                                                                                  Hello users, If you are new to Zoho PDF Editor or aren't sure of its full potential, then this article is for you. Zoho PDF Editor is a free online PDF editing tool, that allows you to upload and edit PDFs, insert text and images, add fillable and e-signature
                                                                                                                • Zoho Projects - Cloning a task does not trigger task workflow when created

                                                                                                                  Hello! I have a Project where my team uses a set of tasks from a tasklist as templates, so we could simply clone it and drag it to another list in kanban view to avoid creating a new one from scratch. The process works well, but after cloning it the new
                                                                                                                • Purchase Orders not in sequence

                                                                                                                  I am unable to sort by Purchase Order Numbers. I can only sort by date; however, the PO numbers aren't in the order they were entered. This was not the case prior to today.
                                                                                                                • Internal Fillable Contract with Zoho Writer (Before Sending to Client)

                                                                                                                  Hi everyone, I’m trying to automate the following process in Zoho CRM and would appreciate some guidance. Process: When a Deal moves to a specific stage, CRM triggers an automation. CRM sends a contract template to an internal team member so they can
                                                                                                                • Date/time displayed in ZohoCRM does not match date/time of entries in ZohoForm

                                                                                                                  Hello there, we use a ZohoForm as a worksheet, i.e. users use it to track start time, break and stop time for every working day. The ZohoCRM org time zone is set on GM -4, so is the Time Zone in the Date&Time section in ZohoForm (see attachment). Despite
                                                                                                                • Update Existing Records greyed out in Free Version

                                                                                                                  Trying to update records from an Excel sheet, and not getting the option to update. Only option is to add as new accounts. All documentation I can see says update should be an option! Accounts, Leads, Contacts, all the same.
                                                                                                                • Dynamically Populate Picklist Values from Another Module Using Client Script

                                                                                                                  I am working in Zoho CRM and trying to dynamically populate a picklist field in the Partners module using values stored in another custom module. I have two modules: 1. Partners Module Field: Partner_Type_Pick Field Type: Picklist 2. Partners_Type Module
                                                                                                                • Add zoho calendar to google calendar

                                                                                                                  Hi I keep seeing instructions on how to sync Zoho CRM calendar with google calendar but no instructions on how to view Zoho calendar in my google calendar.
                                                                                                                • Zoho Community Digest : Jan 2026 | Part 1

                                                                                                                  Hello Everyone! Staying in the loop with Zoho's latest product updates and features across the vast Zoho Community Forums can be a real challenge. We get it. With over 50+ applications, each with its dedicated forum, it's easy to miss out on important
                                                                                                                • World date & time format

                                                                                                                  Hello, Is there a timeline to get the worldwide used date and time format ? I mean not the american one... I mean day month year, and 24 hours clock. Regards
                                                                                                                • Nimble enhancements to WhatsApp for Business integration in Zoho CRM: Enjoy context and clarity in business messaging

                                                                                                                  Dear Customers, We hope you're well! WhatsApp for business is a renowned business messaging platform that takes your business closer to your customers; it gives your business the power of personalized outreach. Using the WhatsApp for Business integration
                                                                                                                • Conditional layouts - support for multi-select picklists

                                                                                                                  Hi, The documentation for conditional layouts says the following: "Layout Rules cannot be used on the following field types: Auto Number Lookup Multi Select Lookup User Lookup Formula File Upload Multi Line" I have a custom module with a multi-pick list
                                                                                                                • Dont want to list inactive items.

                                                                                                                  If an item is made inactive, there is no point in showing it in the item list. Please provide an option to hide all inactive items in 'Preferences'. 
                                                                                                                • Actual vs Minimum

                                                                                                                  Hi all, I am sure I am not the only one having this need. We are implementing billing on a 30-minute increment, with a minimum of 30 minutes per ticket. My question is, is there a way to create a formula or function to track both the minimum bill vs the
                                                                                                                • Client Script Not Working When Field is Set by Workflow

                                                                                                                  Problem Context: I have implemented a client script in the Cases module that automatically assigns commands based on the value of the Priority field. The script functions correctly when the Priority field is manually set by a user through the form. Observed
                                                                                                                • Integration of CRM and Recruit

                                                                                                                  hi team, Is it possible to sync deals <> job openings from only 1 pipeline? My configuration of CRM has pipeline for each business unit, so I will have all data in the CRM system. body leasing and recruitment is one BU (hence 1 pipeline) - can I sync
                                                                                                                • {Action Required} Re-authenticate your Google Accounts to Continue Data Sync

                                                                                                                  Hello Users! To align with Google’s latest updates on how apps access files in Google Drive, we’ve enhanced our integration to comply with the updated security and privacy standards, ensuring safer and more reliable access to your data. With this update,
                                                                                                                • integrating Zoho CRM vendors with Zoho projects

                                                                                                                  In most of our projects we collaborate with our Vendors. Being able to integrate only Accounts and not Vendors from CRM, is a huge limitation for our perspective and needs. We would really love to see this feature in the CRM-Projects integration.
                                                                                                                • Zoho Creator Workshops 2026—Europe & UK | Coming to a city near you!

                                                                                                                  Hello everyone! We're excited to announce the Zoho Creator Workshop Series 2026, coming to cities across Europe and the United Kingdom this year! Whether you're looking to explore the intermediate-to-advanced capabilities of Creator or you're a seasoned
                                                                                                                • Validation rule for Date field

                                                                                                                  The condition settings for a Date field are are absolutlly usless. Conditions can only be set for a specific date, which is logically ineffective in most cases. When setting a condition for a Date field, users usually need to compare the value relative
                                                                                                                • Number 9 envelopes for invoice printing

                                                                                                                  I email and print invoices. Being new to Zoho and coming from QB, we did both as we have a more traditional So in Zoho i want to do the same using Number 9 envelopes. These have both a return window and mail to windoow see attached image. Im just looking for best suggestions on how to get a ZOHO invoice to work, so I can mail my invoices...
                                                                                                                • Zoho Books/Square integration, using 2 Square 'locations' with new Books 'locations'?

                                                                                                                  Hello! I saw some old threads about this but wasn't sure if there were any updates. Is there a way to integrate the Square locations feature with the Books locations feature? As in, transactions from separate Books locations go to separate Square locations
                                                                                                                • Open Sans Font in Zoho Books is not Open Sans.

                                                                                                                  Font choice in customising PDF Templates is very limited, we cannot upload custom fonts, and to make things worse, the font names are not accurate. I selected Open Sans, and thought the system was bugging, but no, Open Sans is not Open Sans. The real
                                                                                                                • Super Admin Logging in as another User

                                                                                                                  How can a Super Admin login as another user. For example, I have a sales rep that is having issues with their Accounts and I want to view their Zoho Account with out having to do a GTM and sharing screens. Moderation Update (8th Aug 2025): We are working
                                                                                                                • Add Reporting feature to display variance/change columns when comparing periods

                                                                                                                  When running reports to compare periods (for example, Profit and Loss comparing current year to previous), I would like to be able to display variance columns in both (a) amount or (b) percentage.
                                                                                                                • Payroll and BAS ( Australian tax report format )

                                                                                                                  Hello , I am evaluating Zoho Books and I find the interface very intuitive and straight forward. My company is currently using Quickbooks Premier the Australian version. Before we can consider moving the service we would need to have the following addressed : 1.Payroll 2.BAS ( business activity statement ) for tax purposes 3.Some form of local backup and possible export of data to a widely accepted format. Regards Codrin Mitin
                                                                                                                • Invalid scope choice: Workdrive integration in CRM

                                                                                                                  Bug: There is an invalid option in the permission choices for Workdrive integration in CRM. If the entry "WorkDrive.teamfolder.CREATE" is selected, it will return a message indicating invalid OAuth scope scope does not exist.
                                                                                                                • Next Page